APC protests against re-run poll in two Delta councils

• Okowa preaches prudence as he swears in 23 elected chairmen
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State yesterday protested against the re-run elections in Ughelli North and Ethiope East local councils.

According to the state APC Chairman, Prophet Jones Erhue: “For the record, I want to reiterate that the elections purportedly organised by the Okowa-led government in the entire state was a fraud.”

He stressed that the election rescheduled in the two councils by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) was marred by violence and irregularities.

According to the APC, the election was purely a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) affair, as armed policemen and soldiers manned the polling units.

It was leant that agents and supporters of the APC boycotted the re-run election, as directed by the party leaders.

The APC further alleged that the PDP supporters in Oteri, Otovwodo and Afisiere wards in Ughelli North thumb-printed for both parties to make the re-run looks credible.

But the PDP Publicity Secretary, Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza, described the election as free, fair and credible

He said: “The voting pattern adopted by the DSIEC was such that once you were accredited, you cast your vote and go for your business. This was unlike in the past when accreditation commenced at 8:a.m. and ended at 12:00 noon, before the actual voting would start.

“With this process, accreditation and voting continued all day and everybody who was accredited voted, in all the polling units across the state, no matter how late it was.

Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has sworn-in the chairmen of the 23 local councils elected at the polls.

The governor charged them to be prudent and transparent with the state resources, in line with his administration’s policy.

According to him: “The true test of a manager is not in the huge volume of resources at his or her disposal. But, it is in the astute management of the available resources, especially when they are not enough.”

The governor accused some members of the APC for causing violence during the January 6 polls, which necessitated the postponement in the two councils.